Wow. How often does a movie actually live up to the hype? Not that damn often. I have been on a tirade with my movie watching lately. I have watched Hot Tub Time Machine, She’s Out Of Your League, Smoking Aces 2 (don’t even waste your damn time!), Clash Of The Titans, Cop Out, and now Kick Ass.
This movie ruled on so many levels. I never read the comic book so I don’t have the normal nerd complaints like most fan boys do (“What happened to the psychic octopus?!” they cried as they watched The Watchmen). I just knew the basic premise. Kid wonders why there are no superheroes and decides to become one with terrible results.
This movie stars Aaron Johnson as Kick Ass, Christopher Mintz Plasse (McLovin of Superbad fame) as Red Mist, Chloe Moretz as Hit Girl, and Nicholas Cage as Big Daddy.
One day Dave Lizewski asks his friends why the are thousands of people that want to be Paris Hilton but no one wants to be a superhero? “Because you’d get killed in like a day” his friend responds. This does not stop him from going out and fighting crime. Or getting his ass whipped more like it. Big Daddy and his daughter Hit Girl are professionals at what they do and decide to take Kick Ass under their wings. Red Mist joins later with an awesome ass car that shoots “mist” and arguably the best costume.
I don’t wanna ruin too much of this film. What I’ve mentioned can be seen from the trailer or from reading reviews. I am telling you now though: See this fucking movie before Monday! It will be all over the news. It will be blogged about everywhere. Your friends will spoil this movie. Hell, your aunt Shirley might spoil it for you. Lot’s of pissed off people mad about the things Hit Girl says and does in this movie. Roger Ebert with his no jaw having ass is shitting all over this movie for the violence.
Grow a pair, woman.
This movie delivered on everything the trailer and the hype promised. A cool movie with cool action, funny ass dialogue, and more violence than I have seen in a long time mostly perpetrated by an 11 year old that could whoop a grown man’s ass. Yes, this is a movie. Yes, people die. No, do not take your children. Sucks that the movie made Ebert “grow sad” but you cant please everyone.
I give Kick Ass a resounding 5 out of 5 “O”’s with absolutely no hesitation. This is just the beginning of a year filled with movies I cant wait to see. It’s a great time to be a fan of films, O-Ster’s.
“With no power comes no responsibility.”
7 comments: on "Tha Movie Review: Kick-Ass"
100% Agreed. Watched it last night and loved it. Even Nicolas Cage was good and I don't like the guy as an actor but he managed to not mess this one up, lol!
Youre right, Adam. I totally shit on one of his last film in a previous review (Port of Call New Orleans) but he was just perfect as Big Daddy. I hope everyone rushes out to see this because a lot of articles are already spoiling the SHIT out of this movie.
I have read the comic book and I thought the movie was better than the book. The movie was far more streamlined. Mark Millar has a tendency to go on odd tangents when he's writing over the top stuff. Not to mention many of his characters are unlikeable. Wesley in Wanted was a complete unlikeable douche he was far more sympathetic in the movie version.
It makes me really wonder what if Mathew Vaughn had directed Xmen 3 but I've convinced myself that Fox was going to fuck up Xmen 3 no matter who was directing. I don't fault Bret Ratner for Xmen 3 I fault Fox for rushing it to make sure it gets released on time. Vaughn had to finance the movie pretty much himself because no studio wanted to touch a movie that involved an 11 year old beheading a drug dealer in the second issue of the comic. But yeah Nic Cage and Chloe Moretz stole the show. Mark Strong will be involved in another comic book movie he will play Sinestro in the Green Lantern movie.
Loved the Comics, and this is almost exactly what was in it. Been telling people that this shit was going to be fun to watch....but man, give me some hope that not everything out has to be "PG" for the masses.
There's not a lot TO spoil in the film unfortunately, as the movie spoils the shit out of ITSELF. I thought the movie was alright, but it was a little too straight-forward for it's own good, and the filmmakers made some major missteps with things that could have been more interesting or surprising. For instance, in the book, the Red Mist character's story is the same, but it's told in such a way that his betrayal is a twist that they don't reveal it until the end. In the movie, they tell you IMMEDIATELY that he's a villain, and they walk you through each and every plot point that could have been a surprise. I mean, the book pretty much shows you that Mist is the mobster's kid, but you get a sense that he's working against him, because the dad doesn't seem to see much in him, and it makes sense. There's a really good relationship built with Kick-Ass, not just them meeting and Mist setting him up for the kill 5 minutes later. It all builds to the big reveal and a "here's what was happening behind the scenes" montage/explanation that could have easily worked in the film. This isn't really a nitpicky "Grrrrr, it's nothing like the comic" complaint, because like I said, the Red Mist story is exactly the same, just told differently in a way that wasn't for the better :( It would have made re-watching the film more interesting as well. What IS a "the comic was better" gripe is that Kick-Ass should NOT get the girl. I suggest reading the book if you haven't, as the outcome there is much more satisfying, in a perfectly embarrassing "this is probably what would really happen to you" way. Oh, and Big Daddy's real origin is darrrrrrrrrrrrk.
Phillip. I have heard the same thing from other readers of the book about how Millar gets carried away and I agree. There was no way his run on Punisher could've been made with that Thomas Jane movie a few years back. And let's pretend the Wanted movie didnt happen. I actually liked the comic and hated that film. the film should've just been called something else because it wasnt Wanted.
X3 was going to be cocked up no matter who touched. it. I still hate Singer for leaving it to make that shit Superman movie that Nolan is going to hopefully save. And I didn't realize that Mark Strong was the same dude from Sherlock Holmes. Amazing. Cage and Chloe for sure stole that movie and were perfect. "Oh, child..."
Evitman, I loved that it was rated R and took full advantage of that fact. The ratings system is total horseshit anyway and this proves that violent films can make money. I cant wait to see how much it pulled in this weekend. Let's just hope we dont get flooded with more bad R rated flicks.
PlanB, I get what you're saying in regards to the character development of Red Mist. I went online after I saw the film and read his history. But with the changes made from the adaptation from comic to film it just wouldn't have fit. Even with a montage it would've seemed forced. I'd rather them leave it out that have me go "That seemed slapped together." And yes, the actual Big Daddy story is way ore fucked up than the movie version but as a stand alone I have never read the comic story, the film version satisfied me. And if the story ended for Kick Ass the way it did in the comic it would've been very out of place.
Thanks to you all for commenting!
Millar never wrote Punisher. I think you have him mixed up with Garth Ennis, who is also known to go pretty overboard. Parts of his work were adapted into the last couple of Punisher flicks. I'm a fan of both Millar and Ennis, Ennis being my favorite comic writer, but Millar probably gets more attention because he gets to play around with the bigger characters more. That said, most of Ennis' best stuff has been self-contained stories with his own characters (or his own take on obscure and long forgotten characters) that would make excellent movies.
I would have loved a straighter adaptation of Millar's "Wanted", as yes, the movie was a big disappointment. Congratulations to Millar for scoring a payday for his work to not really get used. At least it got him some good press, which had to be instrumental in getting the "Kick-Ass" movie rolling.
Oh, and Mark Strong is playing Sinestro in the Green Lantern flick. Dude's getting TONS of high profile work lately!
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